Han Media: South Korean Presidential Office Unifies "South Korea-China-Japan" Expression, Indirectly Showing Goodwill to China
According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, a source from the South Korean Presidential Office said on the 16th that the office has decided to unify the official expression of the three Northeast Asian countries as "South Korea-China-Japan," because this expression is most widely used, thereby eliminating unnecessary disputes.
The report stated that during the previous government period, the official expression for the three Northeast Asian countries was not unified, with "South Korea-Japan-China" and "South Korea-China-Japan" being used side by side, which led to unnecessary disputes about "being closer to a certain country." A government official said that before the previous administration, the expression "South Korea-China-Japan" was the most common. However, the Yoon Suk-yeol government, which took office in the previous administration, began using the expression "South Korea-Japan-China" after attending the ASEAN Summit in September 2023. A senior presidential office official at the time stated that since the establishment of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, South Korea has maintained a closer partnership with the United States and Japan based on values and freedom. From this perspective, the government is now using expressions such as "US-North Korea" and "South Korea-Japan-China."
The report pointed out that this move can be seen as one of the indirect gestures of goodwill towards China against the backdrop of the government's efforts to improve relations with China. Some views suggest that the previous government, with its pro-Japanese diplomacy, excluded China and lost actual interests, while the current government is pursuing pragmatic diplomacy based on reality to improve relations with China. Another presidential office official explained that one of the core aspects of diplomacy is balance. The previous government pursued ideological diplomacy, overemphasizing Japan, and returning it to its original correct direction was the right approach. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also stated on the 1st of this month during a meeting in Gyeongju with Chinese leaders that he would comprehensively restore South Korea-China relations, and both countries, as strategic partners, would move forward on a path of practicality and mutual benefit.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1848913894930633/
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